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Clark County pauses Camp Bonneville law-enforcement agreements after public outcry over munitions, reuse plan
Summary
Council removed item 4.3 from the agenda and paused negotiations on law-enforcement agreements at Camp Bonneville after multiple public commenters raised concerns about munitions, unexploded ordnance, conservation conveyance terms and transparency. Chair Marshall said negotiations are paused and staff will return documents when appropriate.
The Clark County Council removed agenda item 4.3 and paused negotiations on law-enforcement agreements for Camp Bonneville after several residents and community groups urged greater transparency and raised safety and legal questions.
Public commenters told the council that documents tied to the proposed agreements were not available to the public and said the county should not allow law-enforcement uses that conflict with the site's conservation conveyance and the Camp Bonneville reuse plan. Patty Reynolds told the council that "the actual content of the item had been hidden from the public," and asked whether agencies using the site were storing munitions on-site. Theresa Hardy said the "conservation conveyance is the law" and that deed restrictions attached to the transfer did not contemplate ATF, SWAT or bomb squad operations on the property.
Why it matters: Camp Bonneville was transferred under conservation-related restrictions and remains the subject of contamination and reuse-planning work. Residents and conservation advocates told the council that permitting law-enforcement activities such as detonations or munitions storage could conflict with the property's conservation goals and public-safety priorities.
Several speakers questioned whether prior agreements had allowed federal or other agencies continued use without sufficient public notice. Jim Byrne said the site was conveyed under a natural-resources conservation conveyance and argued that "shooting has nothing to do with natural resources." Wendy Cleveland of the Sierra Club asked how a BRAC (base realignment and closure) or similar agreement would align with the conservation conveyance, and asked where fees paid by users had been accounted for. Carissa Hallstrom asked whether SWAT, ATF or bomb-squad teams would be permitted to use the property while the formal agreements are paused.
Council response and next steps: An unnamed council member asked counsel to remove item 4.3 from this week's agenda; Chair Marshall said the negotiators had paused discussions and that the item would likely return in two to three weeks. Chair Marshall said documents would be posted in advance when appropriate but noted that negotiation documents are not routinely published while active bargaining is underway. "We're going to pause on those negotiations and bring them back," Chair Marshall said during the meeting.
Speakers and commenters asked the county to answer several specific questions before any agreements are finalized, including whether contracts limit storage or detonation of munitions, who receives user fees, and the status of unexploded-ordnance cleanup. Commenters repeatedly asked for greater transparency and for the council to ensure the reuse plan and deed restrictions are honored.
What the county said: A staff member told the council that because the item had been pulled while negotiations continued there were no negotiation documents posted for public review. Chair Marshall and staff said the item would be returned when negotiations concluded or when staff determined documents could be posted.
The pause does not yet represent a formal denial or approval of any contract. Council members and staff said the topic would return to a future meeting for further review and potential action.
